Proposing marriage is a tradition that is definitely seen differently in Russia. Of course it has been affected by the Western culture as everything else. But since it might be one of the most important moments in your life and the life of your Russian bride, that it is definitely good to be prepared.

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The Russians did not have any specific proposing traditions before they saw Hollywood movies. You might be surprised, but even giving the engagement ring was not common. The ring was given only at the wedding. Traditionally the parent of the Russian lady and her fiancé had to be involved in the marriage proposal. The father and the son went together to the house of the bride and asked the parents for the hand of their daughter. Of course, in the twentieth century the traditions became less formal. However, until this time some people still do ask the permission from the parents after their partner has given the answer. Russian people are very sensitive. That is why for them the most important part of the procedure is capturing the right moment. The Russian woman expects you to look her in the eye and be very sincere . She has to feel that you really want it. If you both feel it, then it does not even matter whether you have a ring with you or not. Just do it.

At this point some guys are probably thinking – so how does a Russian girl react if I stand on one knee and offer her the ring. Is it a good thing to do or not? The answer is – it is totally fine, they know that this is something that men in the West do and it is becoming more common in Russia as well. After all, is still very neutral and humble gesture. Maybe it is not the best idea to do it in a very crowded place where you will attract a lot of attention. Russian ladies prefer to keep this kind of moments more intimate. And obviously, Russian women love jewelry. They will appreciate if the engagement ring somehow characterizes them. Another thing to know, is that in Russia it is not very common to do engagement parties. This news is rather being told to the family members and friends in a casual way.

As it has already been mentioned above, Russian girls do not like to be the object of the attention of the strange people during the marriage proposal. And in some cases they would even mind the fact if you do it in front of a large group of friends or relatives. That is why it is safer to forget about all the performances and flash mobs that have recently become so popular in the West. It is not a common thing in Russia. What is more, some of the Russians consider it to be “too American” and they do not like it. So your best intentions can result in embarrassment and disaster. Unless you have seen something like that in the movies together and 5 times out of 5 she has said that this is the most amazing thing ever. Then you might give it a try.